Litter receptacle and mounting member



Sept. 29, 1959 M. 1.. MERRICK 2,906,478

' LITTER RECEPTACLE AND MOUNTING MEMBER Filed April 20, 1956 Man/M605 A. M52275: INVENTR.

United States Patent C) LITTER RECEPTACLE AND MOUNTING NIEMBER I Montague Lee Merrick, La Canada, Calif.

Application April 20, 1956, Serial No. 579,557

4 Claims. (Cl. 248-95) This invention relates to wall-supported receptacles and more particularly to a new and improved receptacle and wall mounting member therefor which is unusually simple in design and constructed from inexpensive materials.

The present invention provides a litter-receiving receptacle such as a foldng paper bag having a rather stiif narrow strip secured along a portion of the open rim end of the bag, the end portions of the strip being free of the bag. This bag is adapted to be securely but detachably supported from a wall or the door of a cabinet by a stiff sheet-like mounting member adhesively applied to the wall along its upper edge and having cutouts in its opposite lower corners adapted to interlock with the free ends of the stiff strip carried by the bag. As will be recognized, the described mountnig member is adapted to be quickly attached to a wall or a cabinet without tools, and lies substantially flush against the wall surface Without protrusions, hooks or other extensions likely to engage passing objects or offer a hazard to the person. Moreover, the mounting member can be easily and quickly attached to any surface without the necessity of holes for screws, nails or the like fastening devices.

Other advantages of the present invention include the provision of a wasteand litter-receiving receptacle which is disposable along with the contained litter and which makes use of the attached strip both for mounting the receptacle on the wall and thereafter holding the top end folded securely closed for sanitary disposal.

It is therefore a primary object of this invention to provide a new and improved disposable litter receptacle having means integral therewith for detachably supporting the receptacle from a wall until filled and for thereafter holding the receptacle closed for sanitary disposal.

Another object of the invention is to provide a litter receptacle mounting member adapted to be adhesively secured to a wall surface and having cutouts arranged to interlock with the ends of a semi-stilt metal strip attached to the open end of a litter receptacle.

A further object of the invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive disposable litter receptacle and mounting member therefor, the latter of which is adapted to be ad hesively secured to a wall surface.

These and other more specific objects will appear upon reading the following specification and claims and upon considering in connection therewith the attached drawing to which they relate.

Referring now to the drawing in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the disposable litter receptacle of this invention as mounted on a vertical supporting surface such as a wall;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 2-2 on Figure 1 showing the manner in which the receptacle contents aid in holding the receptacle securely attached to the mounting member therefor;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 on Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the mounting member from the rear side thereof showing the protective covering for the adhesive layer partially removed preparatory to the attachment of the member to a wall surface.

Referring again to the drawings it will be seen that the present invention comprises a generally rectangularshaped flexible-walled receptacle 10 having inwardly folding pleats 11 along its lateral sides to facilitate the collapse and compact folding of the receptacle until required for use. Receptacle 10 may be formed of any suitable low-cost material such as kraft paper, sheet plastic, metal foil, or from a combination of these materials in either singleor multiple-ply construction. If the receptacle is itnended to receive moist litter or kitchen refuse, it should be formed of material impervious to moisture.

Firmly secured to the top rim of the rear side wall of the bag is a narrow strip of semi-rigid material 12 having its opposite ends 13 free of attachment to the bag wall and preferably extending beyond the pleated walls 11 thereof, as is best shown in Figures 1 and 3. Usually strip 12 comprises a core of metal 14 which is easily bent by pressure applied by the fingers. One suitable mode of attaching this strip to the upper edge of the bag is to fold it within one or more adhesively coated layers of an extension of the rear side wall of the bag.

The mounting member for detachably supporting the receptacle from the room wall, or the wall of a cabinet, or the like, is best shown in Figure 4 and is generally designated 15. Mounting member 15 may be formed of stiff cardboard, fiber board, .stilf sheet plastic material or sheet metal and is preferably provided with a weakened or creased portion 16 extending longitudinally thereof approximately midway between its opposite lateral edges.

A suitable adhesive 17, preferably of the pressure-sensitive type, is applied to the back surface of the mounting member to one side of crease line 16. Covering adhesive 17 is a protective strip of material 18 having a surface not readily adherent to the adhesive, this strip serving to prevent deterioration and contamination of the adhesive until the mounting member is ready for attachment to the wall.

The opposite lower corners of the mounting member are provided with a pair of cutouts 1919 for receiving the opposite ends 13 of strip 12 carried by the litter re ceptacle. 'These cutouts may be shaped in various ways, these illustrated including an enlarged generally triangularly-shaped portion 20 and a narrow slot 21 having one edge forming an extension of one edge of portion 20. Slots 21 preferably have a width appreciably greater than the thickness of strip 13 and yet narrow enough to form a snug frictional fit therewith, this purpose being promoted by having the slots converge as is illustrated in Figures 1 and 3.

The manner of use of the litter receptacle and the mounting member therefor will be quite apparent from the foregoing description. To attach mounting member 15 to the wall, protective strip 18 is removed to expose the pressure-sensitive adhesive 17 following which member 15 is pressed firmly against the wall with its longer edges extending horizontally. The lower half of the mounting member is then folded upwardly away from the wall about crease line 16 to facilitate the entry into cutouts 19 of ends 13 of metal strip 12 carried by the litter receptacle. Thereafter, first one end and then the other of stripping 12 is inserted into the enlarged portions 20 of the cutouts as ends 13 are guided into narrow slots 21 and pressed against the rear surface of the mounting member. The final step is to press the lower half of the mounting member downwardly against the wall leaving the litter receptacle firmly supported therefrom in the manner clearly depicted in Figure 1.

It will be apparent that the first litter thrown into the open top of the receptacle will have a tendency to collect in the forward portion of the receptacle since the front wall has no direct support and this acts to hold the top end open. Once the receptacle has become filled, it is removed merely by grasping the center portion of strip 12 and lifting it upwardly to shift ends 13 into the enlarged portions 20 of the cutouts and then pulling it away from the wall. After the upper portions of pleats 11 have been folded inwardly, the upper edges of the front and rear side walls are brought together and folded over against one side wall of the bag one or more times and the ends of strip 12 are bent inwardly against the bag wall in a manner to prevent the folded top end from unfolding, thereby locking the top securedly closed. The receptacle and its contents may be disposed of with full assurance that the contents cannot escape.

While the particular device herein shown and disclosed in detail is fully capable of attaining the objects and providing the advantages hereinbefore stated, it is to be understood that it is merely illustrative of the presently preferred embodiments of the invention and that no limitations are intended to the details of construction or design herein shown other than as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination, a litter receptacle and mounting support therefor comprising, a bag closed except for an open top end, a strip of relatively stiff material secured to the open end of said bag transversely of one side wall thereof and having its opposite end portions free of said bag and projecting laterally from the opposite sides thereof, a substantially fiat elongated mounting member for detachably supporting said bag against a wall from the free ends of said strip, said mounting member having a layer of adhesive on one surface near one longer edge and a pair of cutouts adjacent its opposite ends spaced to one side of said layer of adhesive, the free ends of the strip secured to said bag extending through said cutouts and cooperating therewith to support said bag from said mounting member while the bag is being filled with litter and the like disposable material, said bag and attached strip being readily detachable from said mounting member and said strip then being foldable against one side Wall of said bag to hold the same closed.

2. A mounting member adapted to be adhesively mounted on a wall for supporting an open-topped litter receiving bag, said support comprising an elongated strip of sheet material creased lengthwise thereof to provide a hinge positioned between the lateral edges thereof, a

layer of pressure-sensitive adhesive extending along one surface of said mounting member to one side of said hinge for securing said mounting member to a wall surface, a removable protective covering for said adhesive, said mounting member having cutouts adjacent the opposite ends thereof on the other side of said hinge from said adhesive, said cutouts having an enlarged portion merging with a narrow slot, the enlarged portion of said cutouts being adapted to receive readily the end of a stiff strip secured to the open end of a flexible-walled receptacle and the narrow slot being adapted to receive said strip with a snug frictional fit and to retain said strip and attached bag suspended from said mounting member.

3. A litter receptacle mounting support adapted to be adhesively attached to a wall for supporting a litter receptacle of the type comprising a flexible-walled bag having a soft metal strip the mid-portion of which is secured along one side of the open rim end thereof with its opposite ends free of the bag, said mounting support comprising a semi-rigid strip of sheet material creased to provide a hinge extending lengthwise thereof to facilitate the fleXure of one edge of said mounting support, a layer of adhesive for securing said strip to a wall applied to the surface of said strip to one side of said hinge, the opposite end portions of said mounting support being provided with cutouts, said cutouts having an enlarged portion for receiving readily the free end portions of the metal strip of a litter receptacle and a slot-like portion merging therewith for receiving said metal strip with a press fit and operable to retain a litter receptacle securely supported against a wall.

4. The combination defined in claim 1 characterized in that said cutouts include narrow slots opening into enlarged openings at one end thereof to facilitate insertion of the ends of said strip of stiff material thereinto.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 611,122 Hess et a1 Sept. 20, 1898 2,071,745 Higginbottom Feb. 23, 1937 2,081,095 Mull May 18, 1937 2,246,596 Moore June 24, 1941 2,448,137 Cody Aug. 31, 1949 2,557,674 McRae June 19, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 194,348 Great Britain Mar. 7, 1923 

